


Sleeping together

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: First Kiss, First Time, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 05:25:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2953946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After long years of sleeping - yes, sleeping - together, Gibbs and Tony finally admit to something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleeping together

Tony DiNozzo woke up feeling warm and rested. He had slept fantastically well, not plagued by his usual midnight insomnia that would keep him awake for hours sometimes. He was cocooned under the duvet and spooned up against a warm body, his arm wrapped around it and his hard-on pressing up against it. Moving his hips slightly he sighed in pleasure as his erection brushed against the firm butt in front of it, and he pressed a kiss between the naked shoulder blades he was resting his forehead against. Tightening his arm, he snuggled in further.  
   
“You awake, DiNozzo?” An amused grumble came from the body in his arms. Tony jerked back, staring wide eyed at his boss, and in a flash he remembered. The case had taken them to a small town out in the middle of nowhere and by the time they were finally done interviewing family members of the victim, Gibbs had deemed it too late to drive all the way back. They had pulled in to a small roadside motel and taken the last two available rooms. Cait and McGee shared the room next door, a small room but at least it had two beds. When Gibbs and Tony had entered their room, they were faced with one bed, large enough to hold the two of them, but still… Tony had been slightly nervous at sharing the bed, but Gibbs had gruffly instructed him to suck it up and told him to get into bed. They had started out each on one side and everything had been fine, but apparently Tony had snuggled up to Gibbs during the night and the way he had woken up, his hard-on pressed against his boss… and oh my god, he had actually rubbed up against Gibbs and kissed his back! A blush creeping up his neck in embarrassment, he glanced at the older man from beneath his eyelashes.  
   
Gibbs had rolled onto his back and was stretching his limbs, a small smirk on his face as he saw DiNozzo’s discomfort. Getting up, he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving a flustered DiNozzo sitting on the bed.  
   
The moment the door to the bathroom closed behind his boss, Tony dropped his head into his hands and groaned in embarrassment. What the hell was he going to do now? This was worse than he had imagined it might be when he had seen the sleeping arrangements last night. Tony rarely slept in the same bed with another person, always leaving his lovers as soon as he decently could, but knew from experience that if he did, he liked to crawl up against them. Tony never minded being alone, but on these occasions his need for human contact would crop up, and in his sleep his body just seemed to be pulled towards the body next to him. If he did spend the night with a partner, this would usually lead to enthusiastic morning sex, which he also never minded, but this time it had been Gibbs, and he could not see himself having morning sex with his boss. Not that Tony would mind, but he didn’t think Gibbs would be into it, not with Tony anyway. Sighing deeply he realized his hard-on had disappeared at the shock of finding himself humping his boss, but thinking about morning sex with the man brought it back. It took some effort to will it away again, after all, the man would be coming back into the room in a few minutes and then Tony would have to get up, and he definitely did not want to remind Gibbs of what had happened by walking around with an erection in front of the man. He groaned at the thought, and his mind quickly took him places he did not want to go about how Gibbs would react. By the time he heard the shower turn off, he was in full panic mode, picturing all kinds of scenarios in which Gibbs beat the crap out of him, got rid of him, or simply shot him and buried him in this nowhere town. When the door to the bathroom opened and Gibbs stepped out, freshly showered and dressed in clean boxers, Tony said the first thing that came to his mind.  
   
“Please don’t kill me or fire me! I like this job, and I swear this will never happen again!”  
   
Gibbs laughed at that, an actual laugh, and for a moment Tony felt something flutter in his chest, as it always did when he managed to coax a smile or laugh from his boss. Taking mercy on the younger man, Gibbs sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him, catching his eyes and holding them before he spoke.  
   
“I won’t, Tony. Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”  
   
Looking at the older man, seeing he meant it, Tony sighed in relief.   “Thank you, Boss. It was really just an automatic reaction, you know, warm body, morning wood…” Tony trailed off in embarrassment. He had not meant to remind his boss of that.  
   
“It’s really fine, Tony. I used to sleep in foxholes with a dozen marines surrounding me, remember? You think this is the first time I ever woke up with a guy plastered against me? Some people just look for the warmth in their sleep, the human contact. It’s okay, I understand.”  
   
“Yeah, but I…”  
   
“That’s not a first for me either, Tony. Marines get hard-ons too, you know.” He winked at Tony, and suddenly the younger man seemed to relax, letting out a deep breath.  
   
“You’re really not mad at me?”  
   
“I’m really not mad. But I will be if you don’t get your ass in gear and be ready to leave in fifteen.”  
   
“On it, Boss!” Tony exclaimed and rushed to the bathroom. He was in such a hurry to get ready that he didn’t have time to think about it anymore until they were in the car on the way back home, and then he only allowed himself a few moments of contentment, remembering the feel of the older man against him, before suppressing the memories until a more appropriate time.  
   
That had been the first time Tony had ever shared a room with Gibbs, and he sometimes played back the memory when he was alone in his bed late at night, still getting excited at the feel of his boss’ body against his, and the memory soothed him when his insomnia played up and seemed to help him get back to sleep quicker than anything else ever had.  
   
The second time they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere and Gibbs decided to pull into a motel, Tony's eyes suddenly sparked in the hope that he would be sharing with Gibbs again. While Gibbs made the arrangements with the desk clerk, he had the others bring in their gear and park the car, and by the time they had done that, Gibbs was finished with the clerk.  
   
“Cait, McGee, you have rooms 114 and 116. DiNozzo, you’re with me.”  
   
“We’re sharing, Boss?” Tony asked.  
   
“Only two singles available, so we’ll have to.”  
   
“Okay, Boss.”  
   
Tony made sure he hid his grin as he followed Gibbs to their room, his eyes lighting up when he saw the one queen sized bed the room held. Gibbs used the bathroom first, and by the time Tony had showered and walked out in his boxers, Gibbs had settled under the covers on one side of the bed. Suddenly nervous, Tony lingered a little, until Gibbs huffed: “Come on, DiNozzo, I want to get some sleep.”  
Slipping under the covers, Tony made sure he stayed on his side and promptly fell asleep.  
   
Waking up in the morning, he held a warm body in his arms and had an impressive erection that pressed against firm buttocks. His face was buried in silver hair and he pressed a soft kiss to the soft strands under his lips. Sighing in contentment, he held himself still, this time not confused about who he was holding and making sure that he didn’t do anything inappropriate, except for the kiss which he just couldn’t stop himself from laying on the older man’s hair. Gibbs’ breathing was even and deep, and Tony knew that the older man was still asleep. Thinking back, Tony realized that this was the first time in months that he had slept completely through the night, and that the last time that had happened was when he had woken up with Gibbs in his arms too. The older man seemed to have a calming effect on him, and Tony admitted to himself that besides the lust and affection he had for the man, Gibbs just made him feel safe. His presence soothed him, and that’s why he was able to sleep so well. Deciding to hold on for as long as he could, he sighed again and carefully snuggled closer, waiting for the older man to wake up.  
   
Gibbs awoke at his usual time, and felt Tony’s arms embracing him. Smiling to himself, he laid still a little while longer, enjoying the feel of Tony’s warm body pressed against his. He had not been lying to Tony when he had told him the first time this happened that he understood about the unconscious need for contact, he had experienced it himself plenty of times too. Sometimes he wondered to himself if that had not been the main reason for getting married again after Shannon, the need he himself had for physical contact acting up and making him seek someone to just hold on to in the middle of the night. But that had never turned out as he had hoped. He had been missing contact for a while now, the last time had been that night with Tony, and so when he was making the reservations for the rooms last night with the clerk, he had deliberately asked for two singles and a room with a queen sized bed, hoping that it would turn out the same as last time. And he was not disappointed.  
   
He had still been awake when Tony had dropped off to sleep the previous night, and had waited for the younger man to move. It was only a few minutes after Tony’s breathing had evened out when the younger man rolled over onto his side and scooted closer to the warmth of Gibbs’ body. Careful not to wake Tony, Gibbs had slid back towards him to make it easier for the younger man to find him in his sleep. As soon as Tony was fully spooned up against him and had wrapped his arms around Gibbs, the older man sighed in contentment and followed him into sleep.  
   
Seeing the time, Gibbs was almost disappointed that they had to get up, but duty called. Stretching his arms and legs, he mumbled: “Morning, Tony.”  
   
“Morning, Boss,” he heard Tony’s voice, clear and awake. He smiled again, recognizing that Tony had apparently been awake for a while already, and had continued to hold him. Rolling onto his back, he looked up at the younger man.  
   
“Sleep well?”  
   
“Yeah, Boss. You?”  
   
“Excellent.”  
   
That earned him a smile from Tony, and he reached out his hand to softly cup Tony’s cheek for a brief moment before getting up and going to the bathroom.  
   
From that time on, whenever they were out of town and staying over, Gibbs made sure that he was the one taking care of the room arrangements, and saw to it that he and Tony shared a room and bed. It was the fifth or sixth time that they had slept together when, after Gibbs’ usual question whether he had slept well, Tony unthinkingly owned up to his insomnia and that it never seemed to bother him when he slept with Gibbs. Realizing what he’d just said, Tony blushed a little at the admission, but Gibbs just smiled at him and cupped his cheek as usual, and just replied: “I’m glad,” before disappearing into the bathroom.  
   
And then came the time that the boiler in Tony’s apartment building blew up and he needed a place to stay. Of course Gibbs would take him in, even if he acted reluctant at first, there was never any question in his mind that Tony would be staying in his house for as long as needed. At last issuing the invitation of sorts, he rushed home to be there before Tony arrived, because he had some preparations to make. Taking down several boxes and things from the attic, Gibbs filled the guest room with them to make sure it was uninhabitable. Then he went into the master bedroom where he rarely slept and changed the sheets for clean ones, finding fluffy pillows which he knew Tony liked and the new duvet he had bought some time ago, after Tony had mumbled his appreciation for a duvet they’d shared in one of the motels during one of their nights together. Now he just had to convince Tony that the couch was too uncomfortable to sleep on, even when the younger man knew that Gibbs was in the habit of sleeping on it himself.  
   
When Tony arrived and took his bags of clothes and stuff upstairs to the guestroom, he saw the state of the room and questioned: “Uhmm… Boss?”  
   
Following Tony upstairs, Gibbs said: “Oh yeah, forgot to tell you about that. Take your stuff into the other room, you can sleep there.”  
   
Walking into the master bedroom, Tony took in the bed. He’d seen this room before, and could swear that those fluffy pillows and that duvet had not been there before. His boss usually slept on the couch, after all, so what use would the new bedding be? That thought almost crushed the spark of hope he had felt upon seeing the bed, and he asked: “Then where are you gonna sleep, Boss?”  
   
Deciding to just present it as a fact, Gibbs replied: “Here of course. Couch is becoming too lumpy. You okay with that?”  
   
“Yes, Boss, of course,” Tony said with a satisfied little smile that he tried in vain to hide from the older man.  
   
“That’s settled then,” Gibbs replied, and went downstairs to start dinner while Tony cleared away his things in the empty side of the closet and drawers that Gibbs had pointed out. After dinner, they went down to the basement where Gibbs worked on the boat while Tony watched and talked, getting only a few grunts from Gibbs in response. Used to that, Tony didn’t mind, his thoughts more focused on the night ahead than on what he was saying anyway. Around ten, Tony stretched and yawned exaggeratedly, and said: “I’m tired, Boss. I think I could use some sleep.”  
   
Looking at his boss hopefully, he saw the knowing little smile and let out the breath he was holding when Gibbs put down the sandpaper and said: “Yeah, me too.”  
   
They made their way upstairs and after quick trips to the bathroom, they settled into bed together. Tony laid there on his back, hoping Gibbs would fall asleep so he could spoon against him, and was surprised when the older man took matters into his own hands. Not wanting to wait, Gibbs slid over to Tony, pushed him onto his side with his back turned to Gibbs, and put his arms around the younger man, pulling him close. Pressing a soft kiss to Tony’s shoulder, he sighed in contentment and said: “Sleep well, Tony.”  
   
Smiling to himself, Tony replied: “You too, Boss,” and both men quickly drifted off to sleep.  
   
During the weeks Tony spent at Gibbs’ place, they developed a routine, and both men were well rested and almost happy, sleeping soundly together every night. Cait and McGee noticed Gibbs was less gruff and Tony was even more cheerful than usual, but neither fathomed the reason for it. Tony was still a little worried when he woke up with his arousal clearly noticeable, but Gibbs never said anything about it. Then one day, Tony woke up with Gibbs’ erection pressed firmly against his butt, and smiled to himself, allowing himself a little fantasy of what Gibbs could do to him with that impressive hardness. But Tony would never make a move, not wanting to lose the respect of his boss, and not willing to ruin this arrangement between them. As the weeks flew by, Tony started to dread the day that his apartment would be ready again and he would have to leave, not wanting to start spending his nights apart from Gibbs anymore. But it was inevitable, and his only solace was that Gibbs seemed a little sad too the last night that they spent together before Tony would go back home.  
   
This time, Cait and McGee noticed the dark circles under Tony’s eyes and the grouchiness in Gibbs that seemed worse than ever, but again neither understood the reason.  
   
Every time a case took them out to the boondocks, Tony hoped that it would lead to having to spend the night out there, but somehow it never lasted until late enough for Gibbs to make the decision to stay overnight. It always left him disappointed and cranky, and it seemed to have the same effect on Gibbs. So when finally they got caught out in the backwoods and it was getting late, and Gibbs seemed to be thinking up things they absolutely still needed to check while out there, Tony smiled to himself in relief when Gibbs at last told them they would be staying overnight. Cait and McGee groaned, neither wanting to stay out here, and besides, if they left now they could still make it back home at a reasonable time in their opinion. But pleading with Gibbs was no use, he’d made his decision. And the other two couldn’t understand the happy little smile on Tony’s lips, knowing that he was never happy to be out in some backwater.  
   
Gibbs pulled into a motel and took care of the rooms, the usual arrangement. McGee and Cait were just grateful that there were two singles available for them, neither wanting to share and feeling a little sorry for Tony that he always seemed to get stuck sharing with Gibbs. McGee shuddered at the thought that one day he might have to share a room with his boss, and was thankful that Tony had seemed to come to accept the arrangement and didn’t mind sharing with Gibbs.  
   
As soon as the door closed behind them, Gibbs slipped into the bathroom and made quick work of it, Tony following as soon as he was done and just as quick to come out again. They settled into bed, Tony curling around Gibbs, his arm across the older man’s chest, Gibbs' hand coming up to stroke over his arm a few times before entangling their fingers together. Sighing deeply a few times, they relaxed against each other, and when they were on the cusp of sleep and Gibbs mumbled: “Sleep well, Tony,” Tony kissed the back of Gibbs’ neck and mumbled sleepily: “You too, Jethro.” Gibbs managed a smile at the familiarity of both their position and the use of his given name, then dropped off.  
   
Both slept through the night for the first time in months, and they woke up refreshed and satisfied early the following morning. Not pretending this time, they stayed entangled for a while after they were both awake, Gibbs brushing his hand over Tony’s arm across his chest, and this time Tony did not try to hide the kiss he pressed to the back of his boss’ neck, knowing the man was awake. McGee and Cait were bewildered the entire drive back home when Tony seemed more chipper than ever, talking their ears off with any remark that crossed his mind, and Gibbs letting him, even smiling sometimes at the things Tony said. Gibbs drove them back almost leisurely - well, compared to his usual driving, not compared to other drivers - and seemed relaxed and satisfied.  
   
And that was how it went. When Tony had to leave his apartment for the second time when repairs had to be made, he was almost happy, breathing a little sigh of relief when Gibbs let him stay. After Cait’s death and the hunt for Ari was over, Tony showed up at Gibbs’ place with a bag in hand, and without a word Gibbs took it up to his bedroom while Tony started preparing a meal in the kitchen. When either man was hurt, they stayed at Gibbs’, looking after each other and sleeping in each other’s arms. After Mexico and Jeanne, Tony had feared it would be different, but when he showed up, bag in hand, Gibbs took one look at him and nodded his consent. Every now and then, Tony would show up in Gibbs’ basement and simply stay the night.  
   
But things did change. Tony admitted to himself his attraction to Gibbs had turned into love, and found it increasingly difficult to keep his hands to himself and only allow himself a single kiss to the back of Gibbs’ neck as he had always done. Gibbs kept his touch limited to the simple cupping of Tony’s cheek in the morning, before heading to the bathroom, and Tony never dared take it further, though he clearly saw the affection in Gibbs’ eyes when he made the familiar gesture. The turning point for Tony was EJ.  
   
She was Tony’s last attempt to find someone other than Gibbs to love. He was infatuated with her and could sometimes imagine a future together with her, but in the end, even before she left him for dead in that alley, he had known that it would never work out between them. She was too selfish, and his heart just couldn’t get over Gibbs. It took another few months before he finally broke.  
   
Showing up at Gibbs’ house one Friday evening, bag in hand, he held the older man’s gaze for a long time, searching for any sign that would tell him which way this would go. Gibbs noticed the intensity of the look and felt something shift between them as he held the younger man’s stare. When Gibbs nodded this time, Tony felt that it was for more than just his consent for the younger man to stay over, but still he was nervous and unsure. Bag brought up to the bedroom, they spent a few hours in the basement, and Tony was oddly quiet. Gibbs knew that whatever it was that was on Tony’s mind, was different than his usual worries, and this time it wouldn’t come out in the basement. If he read the situation correctly, this had something to do with the two of them, this thing between them, and he suddenly knew what would be needed. Though it was still relatively early, he put down his tools, walked over to Tony and cupped the man’s cheek, something he usually only did in the morning when they woke up together. Looking into the younger man’s eyes, he said a single word: “Bed?”  
   
Tony leaned into the touch for a moment, then nodded. They made their way upstairs and, after trips to the bathroom, settled into bed together. Gibbs noticed that Tony was tense, lying on his side facing away from Gibbs, and the older man slid against him, pulling him into his arms, settling their bodies against each other. He felt Tony relax a little, but the tension was still there. Brushing his hand up and down over Tony’s chest and belly, Gibbs felt the younger man shiver. When he pressed a kiss to Tony’s neck, he heard the little sigh. Resting his forehead against Tony’s back between his shoulder blades for a while, he continued the movement of his hand, slowly feeling Tony relax into him. It was only then that Gibbs spoke.  
   
“What is it, Tony? What’s wrong?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
   
“Something’s on your mind.”  
   
“But I don’t think it’s wrong.”  
   
Taking that in for a moment, wondering what Tony meant, Gibbs was silent for a while.  
   
“What is this to you, Jethro?”  
   
“Comfort. Companionship.”  
   
“Is that all?”  
   
“Trust. Affection.”  
   
“Affection?”  
   
“What is it to you, Tony?”  
   
Sighing, Tony wondered if he really dared do this. Steeling himself, he finally answered.  
   
“Love.”  
   
Gibbs remained silent for a moment, feeling the rapid beating of Tony’s heart against his chest, matching the almost frantic rhythm with his own.  
   
“Love?”  
   
Tony only gave a tiny nod. Then he felt the brush of Gibbs’ lips against his neck again, kissing him tenderly, before Gibbs’ hand on his chest came up and cupped his chin, gently turning Tony’s face towards his own. Looking into the younger man’s eyes a moment, Gibbs softly brushed his lips against Tony’s. Then, creating some space between them, he pulled Tony’s shoulder lightly so Tony rolled onto his back, and they could really face each other. Leaning over the younger man, Gibbs held him with his gaze and said: “Good.”  
   
Then he kissed Tony again, the younger man eagerly participating this time, deepening the kiss after a few moments to let their tongues dance with each other, exploring each other’s mouths. It was gentle and tender, a soft first kiss, which made Tony’s toes curl in pleasure. When Gibbs at last pulled back, the younger man locked eyes with him, the only movement a soft brush of Tony’s fingers over his cheek.  
   
“You love me?” Tony asked after a while.  
   
“I do.”  
   
Smiling, Tony brushed over Gibbs’ cheek again before saying: “I love you, Jethro.” Then he pulled him down for another kiss.  
   
This time the kiss turned heated, and hands started roaming chests and sides and backs, running up and down, caressing and stroking, exploring each other. Gibbs crawled up over Tony, covering the younger man’s body with his, feeling the solid muscles underneath his and Tony’s hardness rubbing against his own. Releasing Tony’s lips after a while, Gibbs started kissing down Tony’s jaw and neck, finding the sensitive spot behind his ear, marking him on the tender junction between shoulder and neck, Tony’s hands caressing his back, squeezing him tightly to him as he moaned in pleasure. Moving their hips together, they rubbed against each other, making both men groan in appreciation of the feeling. Kissing his way across and down Tony’s chest, Gibbs continued his exploration of the beautiful body beneath him, kissing and stroking every inch of Tony. Reaching Tony’s erection, he playfully rubbed his stubbled cheek against it before starting to kiss down Tony’s thighs. Tony moaned in desperation and spread his legs wider to give his lover better access. Gibbs settled between Tony’s thighs, kissing his way back up, before finally licking Tony’s cock, caressing his balls and rolling them in his hand, then at last taking Tony into his mouth.  
   
Tony thrashed his head on the pillow in ecstasy when Gibbs’ mouth descended on his dick, moaning in pleasure at the fantastic sensations of the older man’s wet heat on him, the caresses of his hand across his balls. When Gibbs wet two fingers in his mouth and started rubbing against his entrance, Tony bucked up with the feeling, desperate to have the older man inside of him. When one finger slid inside, it nearly sent Tony over the edge, but Gibbs held the base of his cock tight and gentled his suction to stave off Tony’s release. Focusing on the feeling of Gibbs’ finger inside of him, Tony begged for more, Gibbs obliging by slipping in another digit. Clenching his fists into the sheets, Tony tried to hold on and succeeded only because of Gibbs’ tight grip, Tony bucking up when Gibbs brushed against his prostate. The begging turned more desperate, Tony imploring the older man that he needed to feel him inside of him, and now! Showing mercy, Gibbs withdrew his fingers and mouth for a moment to grab the lube from the bedside table drawer, giving Tony a short reprieve from the overwhelming sensations, drawing him back from the edge a little.  
   
Gibbs covered Tony’s body with his own again, kissing his neck and jaw and finally his lips, dipping his tongue in deep and relishing the taste of the younger man’s mouth. Caressing him and feeling Tony’s hands stroking over his back and sides, they took their time calming down a little before Gibbs slicked up his fingers and reached down to continue stretching his lover. Tony’s legs were spread wide and when Gibbs had three fingers inside of him, he started bucking up against his lover, seeking more, sliding their cocks together again, making them both moan. When Tony started begging again, Gibbs withdrew his fingers and wrapped Tony’s legs around his hips, lining up and slowly sliding in, all the time keeping his eyes locked with his lover’s. Buried to the hilt, Gibbs paused and caressed Tony’s face with the backs of his fingers for a few moments, seeing the love and want in the younger man’s eyes. At last, kissing Tony deeply, Gibbs started moving, setting a steady rhythm designed to drive Tony insane. Changing his angle after a while, Tony’s pleasured panting turned to keening moans when Gibbs thrust in just right, Tony locking his hands on Gibbs’ hips to pull him closer and harder against him, meeting him in his strokes to get more of Gibbs inside of him. Seeing Tony nearing the edge and getting there himself rapidly, he leaned up a little to be able to reach between them, grasping Tony’s cock and stroking it in time with his thrusts. In a matter of moments, Tony exploded over his hand and chest, the sight, sound and feeling of his orgasm drawing the climax out of the older man as well.  
   
They lay panting for a while, Gibbs on top of his younger lover, who was soothingly brushing his hands over Gibbs’ body everywhere he could reach, brushing kisses to the top of the silver haired man’s head. When Gibbs rolled off of Tony, the younger man held him close, rolling with him so they lay side by side, facing each other. Tony pressed kisses to Gibbs’ face and neck, still coming down from his high, whispering quiet nothings against his skin. When at last they had calmed, Gibbs rolled onto his back, pulling Tony with him, and the younger man settled his head on Gibbs’ shoulder, head tucked under his chin, while Gibbs’ arms surrounded him and held him tight.  
   
Stroking his hand over Gibbs’ chest and side, Tony marveled at what they had just done. He had hoped, but never really expected this outcome, and was still a little insecure whether Gibbs had truly understood what he had been trying to tell him. Gibbs hadn’t said he loved Tony, just acknowledged what Tony had said. Needing to be reassured, he softly spoke.  
   
“Jethro?”  
   
“Hmmm?”  
   
“Do you really…?”   
“I love you, Tony.”  
   
Smiling at the words he needed to hear, Tony pressed a kiss to Gibbs’ chest, before asking softly: “Since when?”  
   
A small chuckle escaped Gibbs’ lips, Tony feeling the rumbling in Gibbs’ chest under his ear.  
   
“I’ve been sleeping with you for years, Tony. You ever known me to be the kind of man who would do that if there weren’t feelings involved?”  
   
Curious, Tony raised himself up a little, propping his head up on his bent arm so he could look at his lover.  
   
“You mean all this time…?”  
   
“Maybe the first few times it was more friendship. And trust. Needing to be close to someone. But for a long time now, it’s been much more than that.”  
   
“How come you never told me?”  
   
“I could ask the same of you.”  
   
Nodding, Tony acknowledged that. “I was never sure how you felt. I wanted you since the beginning, but you never seemed interested. When I woke up that first time, I was so worried that I’d given my feelings away, but you just talked about physical contact and I thought that must be all it was to you. And after that, there was always a reason why we ended up in the same bed, it never seemed to be by choice, except when I showed up at your place.”  
   
Laughing, Gibbs stroked a hand across Tony’s cheek. “That what you think?”   
At the puzzled look on Tony’s face, Gibbs continued: “I always made the arrangements for the rooms when we stayed over somewhere. You thought all this time that it was a coincidence that we always ended up sharing?”  
   
“You…?”  
   
“Of course, Tony. And when you came here to my house, I always hoped you’d stay.”  
   
“I always wanted to.”  
   
“Will you stay now?”  
   
“For how long?”  
   
“For as long as you’ll have me.”  
   
“Forever then.” Tony said with a smile, before leaning in and kissing his lover deeply.  
   
As of that weekend, Tony moved in. Their nights spent sleeping together were shorter than before, but they gladly sacrificed a few hours of sleep to spend them making love, and the love they now shared with each other improved their demeanor even further than just the sleeping. That Monday, McGee recognized the more mellow Gibbs he saw every couple of months for a few days, and hoped that this time it would last a little longer. Tony was more upbeat than he had been for a while, and Gibbs seemed to tolerate his antics with a smile for the most part, but if Tony became too exuberant, a single look from Gibbs would calm Tony down, a tiny smile gracing the younger man’s face as he did so. The others noticed it too, and when this behavior continued for over two weeks, the team gathered in Abby’s lab to discuss it, Ziva and McGee worried, Ducky and Palmer just curious. Abby smiled and brought up a spread sheet on her screen, dating back years, in which she had carefully catalogued the changes in the two men’s demeanor.  
   
Staring at Abby’s analysis in wonder, they noted the highs and lows for when Tony and Gibbs had been behaving like they were now or when they had been grouchy and almost unmanageable. The greatest extremes had little skulls attached which denoted what Abby considered events that might have a link to the change in demeanor. It started all the way back when Tony had first stayed at Gibbs’ house when his apartment building's boiler had blown, showing highs for both of them, and the lowest points were Gibbs’ hiatus in Mexico (for Tony) and Tony’s stint as Agent Afloat (for Gibbs). Other lows contained notes of either man being in a relationship, and highs denoted all the times Abby knew that Tony was staying over at Gibbs’ place, even if the reason for that was that either one of them was hurt and needed caring for. She had even listed the out of town trips connected to highs, every time McGee and Cait or later Ziva had mentioned the sleeping arrangements. The last two weeks showed high points for both, but no little skull noting a reason.  
   
“What do you think is going on, Abbs?” McGee asked the goth scientist.  
   
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Did any of you hear something about Tony staying with Gibbs these last two weeks? Something with his apartment or anything?”  
   
Shakes of heads all around.  
   
“Then I don’t know! The chart clearly shows that they are at their best when they are close together – which I’ve always thought, by the way – but that never happened without a reason except for a few short days! And those could easily be explained if I knew whether Tony had spent a weekend at Gibbs’ or something, and they just never mentioned anything about it. But for this long, without hearing anything… I don’t know. Unless…” Suddenly her eyes started sparkling and she was practically bouncing up and down: “You think maybe they finally got together for real???”  
   
The team spent the next few weeks surreptitiously watching Gibbs and Tony, studying their behavior and feeding details to Abby for her chart. Subtle enquiries to Tony whether he had changed anything in his living arrangements were ignored or brushed off with a glib remark; they didn’t even bother to try and find out anything from Gibbs. Other than some glances and secretive smiles, they had few things to report to Abby. McGee strictly opposed the idea of following the two men home one night, and Ziva drew the line at showing up unexpectedly at Gibbs' home during the weekend. 

Tony and Gibbs noticed the way their team studied them, and Tony brought the subject up one night. After Gibbs had told his lover about Abby's chart, because of course Gibbs knew about it - he knew everything, he was Gibbs after all, and only seemed to have some blind spots where it concerned Tony and his feelings for Gibbs - they talked about letting the team in on their relationship. In the end, it was a Sunday when they were called in to the office for what turned out to be a nothing case, and when the mess was straightened out, checking they were alone in the bullpen, Gibbs stroked through Tony's hair and kissed him on the lips before asking: "Home, lover?" and Tony mumbling his assent with glassy eyes, that outed them. Hearing a squeal, they looked up to see Abby and the others standing there, watching their display of affection intently, before Ducky cleared his throat and said: "Congratulations, friends. May I ask since when?"

Seeing the pleased looks on their friends' faces and knowing they had no reason to hide or lie, Tony revealed the date of the Friday night he had taken the chance and laid his heart on the line. Before they were engulfed in hugs and more congratulations from the others, the team each held out fifty bucks to Jimmy Palmer, who pocketed the money smiling widely, and proposed drinks for all to celebrate the good news.  
 


End file.
